My friend has pseudoseizures

[Crystal11]

Hello everyone-
Kind of an odd topic this time. I have a high school friend on mine who started having grand-mal looking events for no apparent reason. He was born premature but no causes for Epilepsy were ever found. He went to the E.R. several times, and recieved several IV medications which did not help and was eventually was put into I.C.U because he had 16 or so Grand-mal looking events each day. While in the hospital, they would start up as soon as we walked in the room, or when we left. I kept notes and records for him to take to him neurologist or doctor. He was given so many meds while in the hospital that he was high all day. They were trying to stop his seizure-like events with medications to basically put him to sleep or make him tired. I knew from the beginning that something was up because of his behavior before and after the event, things he would remember us saying during the event, things that a person having a real Grand-mal seizure would never know because they are totally unconscious.
Anyways- my friend's wife called me today letting us know that he had a video-EEG/video EEG saying that he has pseudoseizures. I hope that now he can get off all of the anti-epileptic drugs they put him on and get to the bottom of the real cause for his episodes.
His episodes have lasted about a year and it was so bad at one point in the dorms, that he could not be left alone. He even had an event outside that scared a lot of people at our college which made me mad because I knew it was not a seizure related to Epilepsy, but something else- and he seemed to only do it for attention, and even with each person I knew and even his counselor for disability services- he even caused trouble at the college with a student the next semester that has real Epilepsy.
Anyways- there is a lot more to the story but anyways- it, for me its odd to know my long-time friend has pseudoseizures, but in a way its good because he can seek counseling and other services that could really help him.


I wish my friend a lot of luck now and in the future.
Has anyone else dealt with their friend having pseudoseizures?

[moonchild1970]

What exactly are pseudoseizures?

[epileric]

What exactly are pseudoseizures?

http://medical-dictionary.tfd.com/Pseudoseizure

Personally I believe that pseudoseizures are often an excuse for what is really idiopathic (of unknown origin or cause) seizures.

[moonchild1970]

Thanks for the article info.

[Nakamova]

Pseudoseizures are a tough diagnosis, since sometimes they can co-occur with epileptic seizures. Even if they don't, treatment is not straightforward, and if someone has been given anti-seizure drugs, going off of them can trigger epileptic seizures.

While some pseudoseizures may be deliberate attempts to get attention, the current thinking is that many are based in some sort of emotional trauma that needs to be addressed as part of treatment.

[Bernard]

http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/...tags/pnes.html